Distributed data storage systems can be used to efficiently manage large volumes of data in a wide area network (WAN) or other network environment. Such systems may include an array of data storage devices that are arranged to form a mass storage memory space.
It is common to provide such systems with data migration capabilities. Data having a higher level of host interest may be relocated to a portion of the storage array capable of sustaining higher overall data transfer rates, while data in which the host is less interested may be moved to a location capable of sustaining lower overall data transfer rates. This allows the system to maintain a high IO (input/output) data rate while adapting to different user workloads.
With continued demands for ever increased levels of storage capacity and performance, there remains an ongoing need for improvements in the manner in which storage devices in such arrays are operationally managed. It is to these and other improvements that preferred embodiments of the present invention are generally directed.